Back complaint won’t keep Smith out of second Test

Steve Smith is confident a nagging back complaint won't prevent him building on his imperious MCG record in the Boxing Day Test against India.

The former captain was hampered by the injury in the build-up to the first Test in Adelaide, which Australia won by eight wickets, and failed to have his usual impact with the bat.

Smith made just one run from 29 balls before nicking Ravichandran Ashwin in the hosts' first innings and finished unbeaten on one in the second dig.

Smith admitted he initially had fears he would miss the series opener when he was forced to withdraw from a nets session two days prior.

But four days out from the Boxing Day showpiece, Smith declared the back issue is manageable.

"It's still a bit stiff but it didn't hamper me too much throughout the (first Test)," Smith said, adding he put his dismissal down to Ashwin's good bowling.

"It's just something I need to manage whenever it goes and I probably haven't had an episode since 2014, I think it was, so hopefully they can continue to be six years apart if they come.

"If I'm moving around and laying down I'm good.

"If I sit around for too long it's not great for it, but I'm not worried about it.

"I think everything will be fine and I'll be good to go."

Smith has made a habit of destroying opponents at the MCG, with four centuries - three of them unbeaten - and three fifties in seven Test matches dating back to 2010.

His Test average of 113.50 in Melbourne is higher than at any other ground where he has played more than once. By comparison, his next best average on home soil is 67.88 at the SCG.

The famed venue produced a much-maligned wicket, which was graded "average" by the match referee, for its previous Border-Gavaskar Test in 2018.

It came a year after a drawn Ashes Test at the MCG was marred by a pitch rating of "poor".

While the MCG pitch could boost India's hopes of big total, Brad Haddin expects there will still be enough early assistance for bowlers to ensure there is a result in the Boxing Day Test.

The MCG, in consultation with Cricket Australia, worked hard to remedy the issue and presented a much-improved deck for last year's trans-Tasman Test.